


Winter Song

by hopeneverdies



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst/Comfort, Baker Harry, Christmas, Fluff, Heartbreak, M/M, Police Officer Zayn, Single dad liam, also law school grad harry, b&b manager niall, diner owner liam, finding happiness, gay romance novelist louis, liam is american, some smut later on, the other boys are british or irish, widower louis, winter themed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2019-02-14 16:24:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13011603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopeneverdies/pseuds/hopeneverdies
Summary: Below the illustration was the name that made Harry’s heart skip a beat, made his breathing pick up, and tears prick the back of his eyelids:Louis TomlinsonHe stared at the name for a long time before opening to the first page.  What he saw made the tears spill over and run down his cheeks.For H—Thanks for teaching me that in the aftermath of tragedy it’s possible to love again.—L**************Harry Styles is an unsatisfied 25 year old man running away from his life in London.  After taking a seasonal job at the Horan Family Bed & Breakfast, he meets Louis Tomlinson, a 27 year old recently widowed gay romance novelist who is hoping to find inspiration for his next novel in the picturesque New Hampshire mountains.  What they both find is mutual understanding and comfort in one another.





	Winter Song

**Author's Note:**

> So, this story has been in my brain for probably a year and a half and while it is Christmas/winter themed it won't be finished by Christmas. :( With that said, I feel the need to share it as I write it, and hopefully those of you who choose to read it will enjoy it (and yeah I know WIPs are frustrating). :)
> 
> The title and part of the inspiration for this story comes from [Winter Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHJr07zU9Gk) by Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson.
> 
> Possible Trigger Alert: There is a section in the prologue that details someone finding out about the sudden death of their spouse. Just want to give a heads up.
> 
> Comments and constructive criticism are welcome!
> 
> Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with One Direction or any of its members/former members. This is strictly a work of fiction. Original characters belong to me.
> 
> Please do not post elsewhere (other than in a brief summary with a link) and do not translate without my permission! 
> 
> Thanks!

The bell over the front door rang out at five minutes to six. Five minutes to closing time. 

“Harry!” A familiar voice called out. Harry hurried out to the front counter only to be met by his mate, Liam, perusing the discount bread table.

“Hey!”

Liam turned to face him with a smile. “Hey! I just wanted to let you know that Alice loved her Peppa Pig birthday cake and that’s saying a lot for a picky four year old.”

Harry smiled. “I’m glad she enjoyed it! I had a lot of fun making it for her. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the party, but the holiday season is keeping me beyond busy.”

“That’s alright,” Liam responded as he snatched up a loaf of French bread. “You know Saturday is the annual Holiday Spectacular in the town square. You’re planning on coming, right?”

Harry’s mind drifted back to the same event one year earlier and winced. “I don’t know, Li. I might just clean up here and then curl up with a good book by the fireplace at home.”

“Alice will be disappointed if you don’t show,” Liam said with a frown before whispering, “and frankly I might be too.”

Harry scanned the bread with a sad smile and Liam handed him a five dollar bill. “I’ll think about it, yeah?”

Liam nodded knowingly, took his change and the bread, and turned to leave. “If I don’t see you beforehand, Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas, Li!” Harry waved.

The door behind Liam closed gently and Harry quickly cleaned up the shop. Only two more days until the Holiday Spectacular, and three until Christmas Eve. Three more days of madness. What had Harry been thinking opening up his own bakery in a small tourist town in New Hampshire only one week before Thanksgiving and one month before Christmas? It didn’t help that the last year had been a whirlwind of discovery, expectation, celebration, _and_ disappointment for Harry. It was a year of both finding himself and losing something that had meant more than he could ever explain to another. 

He tried to push the memories of last December out of his brain as he grabbed his wool coat, switched off the lights, and locked the bakery door behind him. There was a stiff breeze in the air and Harry wrapped his bright red scarf tighter around his neck and chin as he made the four block walk back to his new home. Despite the cold, the last measurable snow had been Thanksgiving weekend and the nearby ski resorts were worried about lost revenue even though most were at full capacity through New Year’s. Even the Horan B&B was booked through the second week of January, according to Niall.

When he reached the front porch of his small Cape Cod style home with faded yellow siding and black shutters, Harry saw a small package sitting by the front door with no return address. He picked it up and carried it into the house. He plugged in the Christmas tree lights, and hung up his coat on a hook by the door, before opening the rectangular cardboard packaging. The inside was lined with bubble wrap and he reached in to pull out the mystery object.

His breathing stilled when he laid eyes on it. A hard covered book. He hadn’t actually ever thought he’d hear from _him_ again. 

Sitting the book down on the kitchen counter, he put on a kettle for tea and then changed into some comfortable clothing. Once his cuppa was ready he grabbed the book and snuggled into the corner of his rose colored sofa. He ran his hand over the cover. Across the top, _Winter Song_ was written in white against a navy blue background. Below it was an illustration of two very familiar looking men standing with their hands grasped and foreheads touching in front of a gigantic Christmas tree, the snow falling around them as if they were in the center of a snow globe. Below the illustration was the name that made Harry’s heart skip a beat, made his breathing pick up, and tears prick the back of his eyelids:

_Louis Tomlinson_

He stared at the name for a long time before opening to the first page. What he saw made the tears spill over and run down his cheeks.

_For H—_

_Thanks for teaching me that in the aftermath of tragedy it’s possible to love again._

_—L_

Turning to the first page of the prologue, Harry fought to read the words through his blurry vision, but it only took him a moment to realize that the main character of the story, an author named Lucas, was actually Louis Tomlinson himself, and the policeman Zeke, was Louis’ best mate Zayn, and this story, while marketed as fiction, was in fact autobiographical. 

 

_Lucas whistled to the tune of Winter Wonderland, despite the fact that it was late January, as he checked his hair in the full length mirror for what must’ve been the hundredth time that evening. He brushed his hands down the front of his navy jumper and inspected the wrinkles in his khaki trousers. It had been a wonderful day and that night he would celebrate with the man he loves; with the man whose band fit snug around Lucas’ left ring finger; with the man who eagerly had adopted the name Thompson two years earlier much to Lucas’ own delight._

_“As Time Goes By,” Lucas’ fifth novel had officially been released at midnight, and already he was receiving glowing reviews from critics and from his fans. He never thought that at twenty-seven he would already be living his dreams, even if he wasn’t on the New York Times’ Bestseller List just yet. So, his husband promised they would go out to their favorite seafood restaurant and order the best wine to mark the occasion._

_He walked into the kitchen and glanced at the clock above the oven. There was no way they could make their reservation now. The snow was coming down heavily and Lucas knew that was surely why his lover was late coming home from work. Traffic was likely crawling and he had the thought that perhaps he should just go ahead and order in some Thai food instead. They could cuddle up and watch a movie and do the cute little things that the couples in Lucas’ novels often would do while they were falling in love. It didn’t sound like a terrible idea at all._

_Suddenly, he was pulled out of his daydream by a knock on the front door. “Must have forgotten his house keys,” Lucas said to himself as he jogged through the living room toward the door. He smiled brightly in anticipation of seeing his husband’s snow covered black hair and rosy cheeks._

_He unlocked the door and pulled it open swiftly. “Did you forget your—,” he started before realizing his error. His smile fell just a tad when he saw who was standing on the front stoop. “Zeke?”_

_“Hey,” the other man answered softly. Zeke lived two doors down with his husband Devin. Both were among Lucas’ closest mates in the States. It wasn’t like him to drop by unannounced though and Lucas immediately noticed that he was dressed in his Hartford, Connecticut police uniform, not civilian clothes. His eyes were red rimmed and his face pale. “Lu, I have to tell you something and I think you should sit down first.”_

_Lucas furrowed his eyebrows, confused by his friends’ serious tone. “What? Why do you want me to sit down?”_

_Zeke rubbed at his forehead as if he were trying to soothe a headache before looking Lucas dead set in the eyes. “Please, Lucas just sit down on the couch.”_

_Lucas shook his head. His stomach started to clench with worry and he silently repeated to himself that it was probably nothing. Zeke was likely being over-dramatic. It wouldn’t be the first time. “No, whatever it is you can tell me while I’m standing up. I’m not a delicate flower, Z.”_

_“I know, Lu, but...”_

_“Out with it, yeah?” Lucas interrupted sharply._

_He watched his friend take a deep breath, as if it were one last trick to keep Zeke from having to say whatever it was that needed to be said._

_“It’s Manuel,” Zeke finally stammered out. “There was a big pile-up on the interstate and he was in it.”_

_“What do you mean pile-up?” Lucas wished now that he had something to grip onto as he felt his balance start to waver. His own voice shaking as much as Zeke’s._

_“More than thirty vehicles. A lot of lorries.”_

_“Manny’s okay though, yeah?” Lucas asked, his voice pitched higher than usual. He felt a sweat break out on his forehead._

_Zeke dropped his eyes to the floor and that was all the answer Lucas needed._

_“Oh God!” He exclaimed. “No. No, you’re wrong! He’s fine! He’s probably in the hospital somewhere, but he’s going to be fine!” He took a few steps backward until his back was against a wall._

_Zeke shook his head and took a step toward his friend. “Lu, I identified him myself. His car got broadsided by a semi. He’s gone. I’m so so sorry.” Zeke’s voice broke and tears ran down his cheeks._

_Lucas felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. Every wall seemed to be closing in on him. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t cry. He couldn’t scream. He couldn’t breathe. All he felt were his legs giving out from under him and he slid to the floor before everything went black._

 

Harry sat the book down on his belly and took a deep breath. He had never known the details of what happened that night nearly two years earlier. He knew it had been a car accident, but reading Louis’ own words made his chest ache. He had lost a fiancée that he wasn’t in love with before, and one year ago he lost the first person he had ever loved, but he had never lost a spouse. He had never experienced that sort of heartbreak.

Wiping his eyes with a tissue he turned to Chapter One. All it took was one paragraph for his heart to shatter:

_Lucas arrived at the Hogan Family Bed & Breakfast the third week of November, and on his eighth day there he met Henry, a young baker wearing a red apron with poinsettias on it. He greeted Lucas with tousled brown hair, bright green eyes, and an even brighter smile. He politely offered a slice of peanut butter fudge and in that moment Lucas couldn’t help but think that young Henry, whose name he didn’t know yet, was the personification of Christmas._

Harry choked on his own sobs. This wasn’t Louis’ story. This was _their_ story. Louis and Harry’s. This was the story of how Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles fell in love last December.


End file.
